Endless Love: Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde Trade Their "Innocence" for American Accents

Endless Love: Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde Trade Their "Innocence" for American Accents

By Matt Stevens Feb 17, 2014 7:00 PMTags
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"Say goodbye to innocence"—so say the ads for this Valentine's Day release, which tries to seduce you with guilty-pleasure melodrama. Gabriella Wilde plays Jade, a pretty, privileged high school grad who falls for a charismatic, working-class guy, David (Alex Pettyfer). Jade's overbearing father (Bruce Greenwood), having suffered the loss of a son, wants to keep her away from David, but the long-sheltered good girl is simply too smitten. Jade turns down an out-of-town internship to spend all summer with her new boyfriend, but then Dad digs up dirt from David's past to drive a wedge between the lovers. Don't say "Be mine" to Love until you first flirt with these five facts:

© 2014 Universal Studios.

1. Safer for Kids: Like the 1981 version with Brooke Shields, Endless Love was adapted from the novel by Scott Spencer. The author wasn't involved in the project, having signed away the movie rights and remake rights in 1980. This latest iteration makes numerous changes, including setting the story in Georgia (instead of Chicago) and throwing water on the obsessive protagonist's arsonist tendencies (this hotheaded David only uses his fists). The new film also targets the teen demographic by toning down the action for a PG-13 rating.

© 2014 Universal Studios.

2. Getting Into Character: Pettyfer (Magic Mike) and Wilde (Carrie) are both British-born 20-somethings playing American teenagers, though at one point, Pettyfer's character uses a "fake" English accent while making a prank call. As part of their rehearsal and bonding process, the two attractive actors spent time together off the set and did fun exercises, like dancing and rocking out to loud music.  

© 2014 Universal Studios.

3. Daddy Issues: Canadian actor Greenwood (Star Trek Into Darkness) lends menace as Jade's strict father, a successful surgeon who really wants his daughter to follow in his medical footsteps. Robert Patrick (the T-1000 from Terminator 2!) shows a softer side as David's auto-mechanic dad, though he too hopes his kid will stay in the same biz. Georgia-born Patrick is the only actual Southerner in the main cast, which also includes British actress Joely Richardson as Jade's mom and Australian up-and-comer Rhys Wakefield as Jade's brother.

© 2014 Universal Studios.

4. Filming in the Peach State: The production set up shop in Georgia to take advantage of the elegant Dixie charm as well as some grittier urban areas. They filmed on location in Atlanta for 34 of their 37 shooting days, from May to July 2013, when the steamy city really becomes "Hotlanta." It's too bad Endless Love didn't cross paths with The Walking Dead, which also shoots in the region—it would've been like the zombie romance Warm Bodies all over again!

© 2014 Universal Studios.

5. "My Love, There's Only You in My Life…": Don't expect to hear the title song made insanely popular by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (and later covered by Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross). Instead, twin sisters Tegan and Sara perform a new theme for this reboot, "Don't Find Another Love." Other musical contributions include "Pumpin Blood" by NONONO, "Right Action" by Franz Ferdinand, and a soundtrack by composer Christophe Beck, who has scored such hits as The Hangover trilogy, Crazy, Stupid, Love., Pitch Perfect, and The Muppets.

(E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)